Reversible Reactions
by KatiiBeth
Summary: Imagine a 25year old Hermione Granger. A 25year old Hermione hiding in America with a 6year old daughter. Add an 11year old sister receiving her Hogwarts letter. Sometimes things change.
1. Start of Something New

Disclaimer: If I owned these characters I wouldn't be here writing fanfiction about them. Same goes for the lyrics.

**Reversible Reactions**

_Reversible reaction: __ A __reaction__ where the products can react to produce the original reactants._

Hermione sat alone once again in the window seat of her house, her daughter Cassie sleeping peacefully upstairs. She sighed as she thought of all that had happened since she started at Hogwarts.

Her mind drifted first towards the joy and confusion she'd felt at receiving her Hogwarts letter and to her first year, when she, Harry and Ron had saved the Philosophers stone from Voldemort's clutches; then to her second year when she was petrified due to the Chamber of Secrets being reopened. There would always be memories of her third year, when Harry met his Godfather and learnt the truth about what had happened to his parents, how their friend Peter Pettigrew and not Sirius Black betrayed the pair, how she travelled through time to save Sirius and Buckbeak the Hippogriff for whom she had hit Draco Malfoy because of.

However her fourth year, the year the Triwizard contest was held at Hogwarts was by far the most memorable. It brought her first boyfriend, of sorts, and the news of the death of a friend with the rebirth of an enemy. Voldemort was back, and he was human. Also when she returned to her parents she discovered her new baby sister, Isabel, and the news of her parents divorce, her father nowhere to be seen, she later learnt he was in America. Somehow she convinced her mother to change her and Isabel's last names to her mother's maiden name, claiming it was independence from her father but just not wanting her family at threat from the new Voldemort.

Her fifth year, the year Sirius died. She furiously tried to block those memories from her mind but they spilt in anyways. Before her sixth and seventh years, the years in which Dumbledore died and McGonagall fought for control of the school, the year that she started to date Ron and the year in which herself and the other two thirds of the golden trio prepared to fight Voldemort.

Hermione's mind soon was onto the year after graduating from Hogwarts. So many brave friends died during the final battle before Harry finally overcame Voldemort. How Hermione ran away after the battle, had to run from the images of Hagrid, Charlie Weasley, Andromeda Tonks and so many other friends gruesomely positioned, lying dead on the floor. She had run to her father, to America, for a new start. She had planned on getting away from it all, away from the magic but things were not going to happen that way. When Hermione had been in America for 1 month, aged 18 she was raped. Because of that incident her parents spoke to each other again, as Hermione's mother and Izzy had flown over from England to check she was okay.

Though Hermione was soon physically fine, she discovered she was pregnant, and that helped her to look back on the rape in a different light, although it was still bad to remember, she got her daughter Cassandra Faith Granger from it and now couldn't imagine a life without her.

Hermione was shaken out of her thoughts to the sound of Cassie, now age 6, jumping down the stairs. "Mummy come, look, there's an owl in my bedroom, come on Mummy, come!"

She found herself standing slowly as she made her way to her daughter's room, now at 25 years of age she was not too keen on the idea of a message from the wizarding world after 7 years.

Upon entering the room, she soon spotted the cute fuzzy brown owl that sat on the top of Cassie's cupboard. The owl flew swiftly over, sticking out its right leg before flying off once the letter had been received.

Hands trembling ever so slightly Hermione opened the envelope, skim reading through it quickly, though she soon realised that the wizarding world had not caught her, just that they were going to. Soon. One way or the other.

_Hey Hermione,_

_Guess what! I got a Hogwarts letter, Mum said it was up to me whether I went or not so I said yes, I know that you left that world but surely no one will remember one little Muggleborn huh? No one important anyway, no offence. So anyway, I went to Diagon Alley where I got my owl, Maisie, isn't she cute? Mum said I had to tell you that the Headmistress of Hogwarts, McGonagall I think it is, well she's coming to visit, apparently she visits all Muggleborn witches and wizards before they start at Hogwarts, to check they have no problems, Mum thinks that she might be recognised by this, lady, or whoever she is, I don't know why as she hasn't seen Mum for years and years, a whole 14years, why would she be recognised, so, Mya, the lady is coming on Tuesday and Mum said to tell you in case you wanted to come. Give my love to my favourite (and only) niece will you. Love you both loads, your little sister Izzy. XxXx_

_p.s. Mum said to add that the flue thingy is up, don't know what she's on about though._

Hermione let out a small giggle at her sister's attempt to spell 'Floo', Hermione would have to give her a lesson on wizarding ways before she left for Hogwarts. Hermione's sister, the same Hermione Granger named 'Smartest Witch in 5 Centuries' by the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly, was not about to be allowed to taint her older sister's name in any way.

As Hermione turned around making her way downstairs she found Cassie sitting quietly playing with the doll she was given for her fourth birthday by her Auntie Izzy. Hermione smiled at her briefly before continuing her way towards the kitchen where she could think about what she was going to do.

While she sat and she pondered, all the memories came back, she knew that she wanted Cassie to be raised as a witch but could she face returning to Harry and Ron after leaving them, most likely when they needed her the most? In her heart though she knew that she was being given a valid reason to return, and should take advantage of the situation.

Hermione walked over to the fireplace, opening up the small pot of powder that she had always kept in case of an emergency. _Hey, this will scare the living daylights out of my sister._ She grinned as she hoped her unsuspecting sister would be waiting by the fireplace.

As her head stuck through the fire and she clearly stated the address of her mother's house she felt the familiar tingle of the Floo travel around her neck. She smiled. She hadn't even spoken to anyone yet, though she knew that she was where she was supposed to be, surrounded by magic.

The smoke cleared and Hermione looked around to see the familiar sight of her house in England, and her mother's feet, glancing up she spotted her mother smiling at her. "I knew that we would see you soon Mione, knew you would be flooing in soon.

Hermione wrinkled her nose playfully. "Hmm, well today's Monday and McGonagall will be here tomorrow so I figured that we needed to talk, now."

Hermione's mother, Laura, continued to smile at Hermione before saying, "Okay sweetie, but how is Cassie?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow sceptically, "Cass is fine, why wouldn't she be?"

"Oh I don't doubt that you aren't looking after her properly, just asking how she is", Laura replied, before adding sarcastically, "do I have permission to ask how you are?"

"Sorry Mum, it's just, I have a lot going through my head right now, I didn't mean to snap."

"I know you didn't sweetie" Laura answered as she made her way over to sit down on the couch, "so, do you think McGonagall will recognise me?"

Hermione sighed as she replied, "I'm pretty sure she will, she may have only met you two or three times but I'm sure she will remember."

Laura stared Hermione in the eyes as she asked, "why would she recognise me, like Izzy said, you might have been one of the smartest witches 7years ago but it's not like you saved the world or anything."

"…"

Laura's eyes widened as she looked at her eldest daughter, "you saved the world? Why? When? How come you didn't tell me?"

Hermione cut her mother off, "There was a war going on, I only helped, with Harry and Ron. It was because one wizard thought he could take over the Wizarding World, and very nearly succeeded but we stopped him. It was 7years ago and the reason I left that World and I never told you as I didn't want you to worry."

"…" Now Laura was speechless, she couldn't imagine her daughter fighting in a war, she couldn't imagine how she hadn't noticed, Hermione's voice started to bring her back to reality.

"Mum, look, we won the war, the Wizarding World is safe, I left that World as I couldn't face seeing all the people who got badly injured and cursed, or all the families of those who died…but I don't want Cassie to miss out on life as a witch because of me. I was planning on going to rejoin the Wizarding World soon anyways, well, sometime in the next 5 years, but Mum, this is the perfect opportunity to get back there. Listen, just, Cassie and I will be arriving later tonight, say 7pm your time by Floo. If you feel like it leave Izzy in front of the fire with no warning, but please, don't tell her about what I just told you, she'll find it out anyway no doubt… See you later?"

Laura gave in as she looked at Hermione's pleading eyes and just nodded her head in defeat.

* * *

Living in my own world  
Didn't understand  
That anything can happen  
When you take a chance


	2. Far from the Home I Love

**Reversible Reactions**

_Reversible reaction: __ A __reaction__ where the products can react to produce the original reactants._

Hermione pulled her head swiftly back through the Floo. Taking a deep breath to compose herself she briefly checked on Cassie who was still playing with her doll before climbing the stairs to her bedroom.

Sitting quietly on her bed Hermione reached over and grabbed a half hidden, antique looking, dusty wooden box. She blew on it lightly to remove the dust before quickly opening the combination lock. Slowly she opened the box, biting her lip softly as she looked at the items inside which she hadn't seen for years. Tenderly she picked up her wand, holding it at a distance as if she was afraid to use it after so long. Another glance into the box showed it held mostly books, magical books, and textbooks from her time at Hogwarts as well as general reading material. She spotted the small cauldron and wizarding clothing that had been shrunk in order to fit everything in. A few potions ingredients were stored on the miniature shelves and there was even a collapsible broomstick in the corner, not that Hermione would ever willingly fly on it.

Still holding her wand she closed the box and put it away again. She didn't really need anything else. She didn't even need her wand but she knew that if she was going to be anywhere near the Wizarding World she'd want it for her protection.

Quickly composing a mental checklist of things she would need to sort out if she was going to rejoin the Wizarding World she made her way back downstairs, her wand now stuck in her boot, fixed firmly against her calf. Glancing into where Cassie had been to make sure the child was okay Hermione was shocked to realise that the girl wasn't there, though her worries were soon calmed as she heard the television play in the background, moving onto the living room she sat down on the couch next to the little girl. Hermione smiled as she noticed how enthralled her daughter was in the episode of SpongeBob, the sound of "oops, I ripped my pants," echoing throughout the room. She grinned softly as Cassie instantly snuggled up to her side and Hermione wrapped an arm gently around her shoulders, holding her close.

Once the episode had finished Hermione quickly put the television on mute causing Cassie to look up at her, Hermione smiled reassuringly at her before starting to talk.

"Cass honey, do you want to go pack a bag because we're going to see Auntie Izzy and Grandma tonight."

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "Does that mean we get to go on an aeroplane?" She asked with wide eyes.

Hermione winced. She'd forgotten that she'd need to explain the Floo system to Cassandra, as well as the whole concept of magic. "No baby, we're going to go by Floo. I'll explain it later okay? Go and pack your bag." Hopefully that would keep the girl quiet for a while so that Hermione could pack for herself in peace.

An hour later Hermione had packed a weeks worth of clothes for the trip. She glanced over at the clock. Six thirty England time. Time to go and see what Cassie had managed to pack.

Heaving her suitcase next to the fireplace in preparation for their journey Hermione made her way to the entrance of Cassie's room and watched the child as she tried to fit all of her toys into her own, pink, Dora the Explorer suitcase. Chuckling softly she wandered over to the bed and sat down on it. She couldn't help but smile as Cassie looked up at her with an adorably innocent smile on her face.

"Are there any clothes in there baby?" Hermione asked gently, not wanting to upset the child who must have slaved over digging all her toys out. She laughed softly as Cassie shook her head with wide eyes.

"Okay. Well then. I'm sure we don't need all of your cuddly toys to come with us. Pick three to come with us and the rest can stay here."

The look of horror that crossed the six year olds face at the suggestion was so comical; Hermione had to bite the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from laughing. "I can't leave any of them behind Mummy." The small voice protested. "They'll get lonely without me."

"Baby, if you leave all but three here they can keep each other company. I'm sure they'll be fine, just for a week." Hermione was used to having this problem and knew how to tackle it. "They'll get squashed if you put them all in your suitcase anyways. I'm sure they'd be much more comfortable if they were on your bed." She watched as the little girl grudgingly moved all but three cuddly toys out of her suitcase and noticed how the suitcase was only half full now.

Still. There weren't any clothes in the suitcase yet. It shouldn't have been half full. Moving the three remaining cuddly toys to the side Hermione spotted the pile of books that was taking up the rest of the suitcase space. She rolled her eyes as she grinned. There was no doubting as far as Cassie being her child. The girl was as addicted to books as Hermione was, though the reading material varied between the two dramatically. Hermione pulled out the pile of books, swiftly placing a finger over her daughter's lips to stop any protests from emerging. "I'm sure your Auntie Izzy has plenty of books that you can read. If she doesn't then maybe we can go buy you some new ones." Cassandra beamed at the suggestion of new books, nodding her head frantically.

Hermione quickly shuffled through the girl's clothes, pulling out a selection of dresses, jeans, skirts and shirts alike before grabbing some underwear and anything else she spotted in the room that the girl might need whilst away. She'd put toiletries for Cassie in with her own so that was already taken care of.

She glanced at the clock once more. Six forty five. Fifteen minutes until she needed to be at her Mother's.

Grabbing Cassie's suitcase she took it downstairs and place it next to her own by the fireplace. She was conscious of Cassie having followed her down the stairs and so she turned to her daughter, bending down so she was at the child's eye level. "Do you need to go to the bathroom before we go to Grandma's?" She asked, watching as the child shook her head no. "Are you sure?" It was always infuriating when Cassie said no, only to need the bathroom 15minutes later. Thinking about it though, the journey by Floo would only take a minute or so, less than that probably, so there wasn't going to be too much of a problem if the girl changed her mind.

Ten minutes until they needed to leave. "Wait here for me baby, I'm just going to check all the doors and windows are locked." Quickly she made her way around the house, making sure to leave the hall light on so that the house would appear occupied from the outside. She checked the iron and other similar items were switched off and safe before making her way back to the fireplace.

Two minutes.

Hermione crouched down to Cassie's eye level once more. She'd read somewhere that being at the child's eye level made the adult look less imposing and made the child feel more comfortable. "Okay Cassie, we have to leave now. You have to trust me okay, we're getting there by magic." She saw the girl's eyes widen once more and quietly "shushed" Cassie, knowing that her daughter's inquisitive mind took after her own and that the girl was just desperate to ask questions. "I'll explain later Cassie but I need you to hold onto me really tightly for me. We're going to step into the fire. I know it sounds scary but I'll be right there with you. Can you grab your suitcase for me?"

She watched as the child picked up her suitcase and she then hoisted the light girl onto her hip. Keeping one arm tight around the girl she threw some Floo powder into the fire in front of her before grabbing her suitcase with her free hand. Stepping into the fire she felt the warmth of the magic surrounding her as she opened her mouth to say as clearly as possible. "Twenty five, Baker Street, London, England."

* * *

How can I hope to make you understand  
Why I do what I do,  
Why I must travel to a distant land,  
Far from the home I love.


	3. Brave

Hi all, sorry for the year or so delay in this update, I originally wrote this story about three years ago, uploaded it in 2007 and only decided a few days ago that I'm determined to complete it, please let me know what you think.

**Reversible Reactions**

_Reversible reaction: __ A __reaction__ where the products can react to produce the original reactants._

Hermione felt the familiar shove of the Floo system push her out into her Mother's house. Holding onto Cassie tightly she managed to keep her balance and not fall over. Glancing up she smiled as she saw her Mum watching her from the corner of the room, with her hand covering her mouth to stop her from laughing. Hermione had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing as well once she spotted her younger sister, frozen stiff, staring at the fireplace in shock. It's not everyday people fall out of your fireplace when you're in the middle of watching House M.D.

Simultaneously setting down her suitcase and Cassie, Hermione walked towards Izzy before waving her hand in her little sisters' face. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

Izzy frowned and knocked Hermione's hand away from herself. "What was that? You just… and then… but… what?" Her lack of words only amusing her older sister more.

Out of the corner of Hermione's eye she spotted Cassie talking animatedly to her Grandma, Hermione's Mother. Obviously the trip by Floo hadn't fazed the girl too much.

Turning back to Izzy she replied. "That would be the Floo network, that thing you mentioned in your letter. All the people in the Wizarding World have the Floo network connected to their fireplaces, it means they can travel around much easier then they would be able to otherwise." She decided changing the subject would be better than trying to explain. Izzy could find out about Floo later. "What've you found out about Hogwarts?"

Her sister beamed, all earlier thoughts and questions having been abandoned. "Magic is so cool! I had to go to this place called Diagon Alley to get my stuff and ALL the people there were magical. My favourite shop was Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It was right in the centre of Diagon Alley and it was full of all these magical practical jokes. I could have spent the whole day there but Mum said I needed to collect all the things for school."

Hermione grinned; it seemed as if business was as great as it had always been for the two Weasley twins. She was glad to hear that they were doing well. She knew that Charlie and Molly had both died in the war and so was pleased that it seemed the family was coping. She couldn't imagine what they must have gone through after their deaths; Hermione spent months grieving for all her lost friends and Molly had become a sort of second Mother to her, always looking after her in the Wizarding World. The impact all the death had on Hermione was the reason she ended up in America. How were you meant to stay in a world where everyone you saw reminded you of someone else you had known who had died horrifically?

She raised an eyebrow as she realised her sister hadn't answered her question. "Yes Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is a great place, but I asked about Hogwarts. What have you been told?" She wanted to know who the current Professors were, what was in the Syllabus, if there was a new version of Hogwarts: A History out.

Izzy mimicked her sister's raised eyebrow perfectly; she had always been told that Hermione was an impeccable student, though she was too young to remember it for herself. It was intriguing to see Hermione's curiosity about the Wizarding World, especially as she had been the one to willingly leave it behind. "I haven't heard much about the school, only that I have a place really. The letter said term begins on the 1st of September and I got a list of equipment and books that I needed."

Hermione was disappointed at the lack of information, though when she thought about it, it made sense. Any students who had magical parents would know what was going on at the school, and who the professors were. Any muggleborn students wouldn't know who the professors were so there was no point in mentioning it in the letter. Still, it was good to know it was McGonagall in charge and not someone from the Ministry.

"Can I see your book list?" Hermione asked. Maybe from that she could get some insight to the content of the lessons at Hogwarts. Izzy simply nodded, disappearing out of the room, the sound of her running up the stairs echoing into the room. Turning to her Mum and Cassie Hermione smiled. "Good to see you Mum." Alright so they'd spoken a few hours earlier but it wasn't quite the same as seeing one another in person, without the flames.

Laura smiled at her daughter, leaning over the six year old standing between the pair to give her a hug. "Good to see you too. You really should visit more often, Cassie must have grown at least a foot since I last saw her," she joked with a grin on her face. It certainly had been a few months. Flights between England and America weren't cheap, and so the family only got together at Christmas, and occasionally for Birthday's. It was hard being so far apart, but at least Hermione got to see her Dad regularly, and was at a lot less risk of being recognised, with the small numbers of witches in America. The pair wandered over to sit down on the nearby couch, making small talk while Hermione waited for Izzy to bring the list of books. She kept a close eye on Cassie, who had begun to look around the room, reacquainting herself with the surroundings, before sitting on the floor and getting the three cuddly toys she had finally decided to bring with her out on the floor.

A couple of minutes later the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs caught Hermione's attention. She swivelled in her seat to look at the doorway, watching Izzy walk into the room handing the scrap of paper over as she collapsed onto the couch next to Hermione, before promptly sliding off onto the floor to play with her niece. Hermione scanned over the booklist, recognising most of the titles as books she had bought as a first year. Any progressions that were made with new spells were much more likely to be more complex magic; Hermione doubted that the basics had changed much. The first book on the list was "The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)" by Miranda Goshawk; Hermione knew she'd seen that one before. After all, Hermione never forgot a book. Other familiar titles were "A History of Magic" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." There was however a transfiguration book Hermione had never heard of before, as well as a new book of potions ingredients.

From what she could tell Hogwarts hadn't changed all that much since she had left, or at least the content taught at the school hadn't been affected. She didn't bother to ask her sister whether she had bought any books not on the list, knowing how her sister detested reading with the same amount of passion Hermione had for loving it. Izzy was still very clever though, and had an instant understanding of most things she was told. She would still search for the meaning behind things, though preferring a practical approach in attempting things for herself, or finding out through asking people, rather than spending hours sifting through written material. She simply didn't have the patience for it.

Finally Hermione realised the book list wasn't all that Izzy had handed to her. She had also been given the accompanying letter. It was identical to the one Hermione had received all those years earlier, except for the name on the letter and the new Headmistress.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmistress: Minverva McGonagall_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class)_

_Dear Miss Larson,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

Hermione smiled at the letter, remembering the confusion that it had caused. It was obviously the standard letter sent out to everyone, as there was a separate sheet explaining things in more detail.

_Miss Larson and family,_

_I am certain that you are somewhat confused by the nature of this letter, and unsure of its authenticity. If you are interested in finding out more, then simply attach a reply to the owl's leg that brought you this saying so, and it'll bring the message back. If you aren't interested, then you may need to attach a piece of paper saying so in order to get the owl to leave. It is fairly rare for children with the ability to use magic to be born to non-magical parents, and I shall come and visit on the 27__th__ July at 10:30am to explain further. If this date is inconvenient please do let me know and I will try to arrange an alternative._

_If you are interested then you will need to travel to Diagon Alley to find the equipment on the provided list. This is out of the back of a pub called "The Leaky Cauldron" on St. Marys Road in London. It may appear small and grubby but I assure you this is just to prevent non-magical people from wandering in. Diagon Alley uses Wizarding currency, made up of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. There are seventeen Sickles (silver coloured) to a Galleon (gold coloured), and twenty-nine Knuts (bronze coloured) to a Sickle. You can exchange your money into this currency in Gringotts Bank, located within Diagon Alley (a small map of Diagon Alley is also enclosed). Be warned, the Bank is run by goblins, and they don't appreciate people staring at them._

_I hope you take this letter seriously, as it is a huge opportunity to come and study at Hogwarts. Hopefully we will hear back from you soon._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress_

So Professor McGonagall would be there at ten thirty the following morning. Hermione had been asked several times during the year after she'd left Hogwarts to address her former Professor simply as Minerva, but old habits die hard. She shivered as she realised she was finally going to have to face the past she had run from. She didn't know whether to be excited or terrified. What were people going to think of her for disappearing? Would they be happy to have her back? She realised she was frowning by now, and her Mum was watching her, trying to analyse her daughter's reaction to what she had just read.

Hermione offered a small smile at her Mother, before standing up and stretching her back. She handed the bits of paper back to Izzy with a muttered, "thanks," before lifting her daughter up onto her feet. It was getting late and the six year old should have been in bed long before. "Say goodnight to everyone," Hermione whispered to Cassie, as she picked up the toys and suitcase off of the floor. She stood patiently by the door, waiting as Cassie said her goodnights to her Grandma and Aunt before escorting the six year old upstairs to her room. Despite the little time Hermione and Cassie spent there, they each had their own room still.

She quickly found Cassie's pyjamas and toiletries, handing them to Cassie so the six year old could get ready for bed as Hermione fluffed up the pillows and carefully placed the cuddly toys under the sheets for Cassie. Once she was certain Cassie had brushed her teeth she tucked the small girl in expertly, watching her cuddle up to her toys. Hermione leant down to brush a kiss onto Cassie's forehead before slowly leaving the room.

Briskly walking down the stairs Hermione tried to forget about McGonagall's impending visit, knowing that it would be awkward and no matter how much time and thought was put into how it would go, it would be impossible to predict the reaction of the older witch.

Once again sitting on the couch between her sister and her mother she answered the deluge of questions Izzy seemed to have, wanting to know everything about the Wizarding World, and whether it hurt using the Floo network. Hermione answered the questions as efficiently as she could, trying not to confuse her family by making things too complicated. As more questions were asked she realised that her mum had also started to ask questions, and she wondered why she hadn't told her mum about some of the things before, such as the lifestyle at Hogwarts and the things she had learnt. She had always presumed her parents wouldn't be interested, or she would be so happy to see them after a term apart at Hogwarts she would want to talk about them, and not what she'd been doing. The questioning only finished when Laura noticed that it was half eleven, and decided the three of them should go to bed.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

If this is the moment I stand here on my own  
If this is my rite of passage that somehow leads me home  
I might be afraid  
But it's my turn to be brave


	4. When You Believe

**Reversible Reactions**

_Reversible reaction: __ A __reaction__ where the products can react to produce the original reactants._

A stream of sunlight filtered in through the gap between the curtains, coming to rest on Hermione's face. Groaning she rolled onto her side in order to glance at the clock. 9:28am. An hour before McGonagall was due to arrive.

Dragging herself out of the bed she quickly threw on some clothes. Hermione had never been one to worry about her appearance and wasn't about to start now. She walked down the hallway to her daughter's room, stopping at the doorway to glance inside. It wasn't a surprise to see that the room was empty; Cassie had a tendency to get up early in the mornings. It also wasn't a surprise to see that her daughter's toys had disappeared along with her daughter, and the fact the bed was made led her to believe that her mum was awake.

This thought was only added to as the smell of a cooked breakfast began to drift up the stairs. As much as Hermione enjoyed her independence, it was still nice to have her mum's cooking once in a while. Her mum's cooking would have rivaled Molly Weasley's.

Hermione quickly got ready for the day, fiddling about with her hair before deciding to leave it down. She picked up her wand from her bedside table, and wondered what she should do with it. She didn't particularly want to carry it around, though she knew that if she was going to be in contact with the Wizarding World it would be a benefit to have with her, though she highly doubted she would see anyone other than McGonagall. Still, it wasn't worth the risk so she pocketed it, before making her way towards the source of the wonderful smell. She knew that if she didn't hurry there would be none left.

Before she even reached the kitchen she could hear the voices of her family, Izzy was predictably sounding rather excited about the day, whilst her mum tried to calm her down. As  
Hermione entered the room she was greeted with a chorus of "good morning" from the three already sitting eating at the table. She smiled in reply as she plated herself up some food before going to sit with them.

As she sat down the chatter had resumed, with once again Izzy talking non-stop about magic. The eleven year old was excited, and quite rightly too. She had been five when Hermione stopped using magic, and so was very curious as to what Professor McGonagall would be like. "Have you met Professor McGonagall Hermione?" She asked.

Hermione nodded in reply, "she was the Deputy Headmistress when I was at Hogwarts, she was also my Head of House." The chatter was making Hermione slightly nervous. She didn't want to say, oh, and I fought alongside her in a war. That was far too extreme for Izzy to know, though she was certain to find out sooner or later. Hermione glanced at the clock, 9:56am, a little over half an hour until McGonagall's arrival. She finished eating her breakfast quickly, somehow managing to take mouthfuls of food in whilst answering her sister's continuous flow of questions, about the Houses, subjects, whether they ate the same food at Hogwarts, just how many different magical creatures were there? Hermione could feel a headache coming on, from the speed that the questions were being fired at her, finally she had to do something about it. "Look, Iz, you can ask McGonagall all these things when she arrives okay?"

A sheepish smile from her younger sister was the instant response, "sure, sorry Hermione." She had asked an awful lot of questions, and couldn't blame Hermione for having had enough of it. There was only 20minutes left now until the meeting, and Izzy was sure she could wait it out to have the answers to the rest of her questions.

Their mum had started to clear up by now, so the two sisters got up and helped her with the washing and drying up of everything. By the time they were done, it was twenty past ten. 10 minutes left until McGonagall was expected. Ten minutes until Hermione would have to face her past, face everything that she had run from all those years ago.

Hermione paced up and down the hallway, checking her watch far too often. After what felt like hours it read 10:29. One minute to go. She glanced over to her family, wondering what they would think of whatever was going to happen next. Izzy joined her in the corridor, having also noticed the time; she was as jumpy as Hermione, though both for different reasons.

Together they watched as the seconds hand clicked around the face of the clock… ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one. Instantly Hermione and Izzy turned to look at each other, before turning to face the front door in perfect unison; the pair spotting the shadow appearing the other side of the frosted glass.

The sharp sound of a hand rapping against the wood of the door cut through the otherwise silent house. Izzy grinned and went to answer it, as Hermione took a wary step backwards away from the door. There was no running anymore… well she could always turn and jump in the floo, but there was no way McGonagall wouldn't recognize her mum, and Izzy wasn't that dissimilar to her older sister in appearance either. Alright the hair was a little less bushy, but at the end of the day McGonagall would tell.

The door opened partially and Hermione could hear the conversation beginning on the porch outside the house. Laura walked into the hallway, giving her eldest daughter a squeeze on the shoulder as she walked past to greet the Professor and move the conversation indoors. Hermione stood frozen in the hallway, not able to go and say hello, but not able to run away either. Cassie quickly appeared by her side, the young girl desperate to see who was at the door.

Finally the door was opened fully, and Hermione caught sight of Professor McGonagall, the kind lady who was such a maternal figure to her at Hogwarts. Laura laughed at a comment that the Professor had said, and gestured to the older woman to go inside. McGonagall smiled and finally looked into the house; her gaze resting on Hermione, standing shyly at the far end of the corridor.

The pair stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity to the pair, while the three other occupants of the room looked on in confusion. Surely they would be glad to see each other again after so long? The look on the elder woman's face was one of shock and confusion, with a hint of relief if you looked closely enough. Hermione simply appeared terrified, and for once the bookworm was lost for words.

McGonagall was the one to break the stare-off between the pair, having noticed the panicked look on Hermione's face. "My dear," she whispered as she walked towards the young woman, "we've all been so worried about you; you just vanished without a word and nobody knew what to think."

Hermione was quickly losing control of her emotions, tears beginning to stream down her face at the affection the older lady was showing. She bit her lip, a nervous habit which she'd picked up over the last few years, trying to stop the tears falling. Minerva slowly wiped the tears from Hermione's face, before pulling the younger woman in for a hug, holding her close as her body shook, the tears falling for the years she'd spent away from her friends, away from her own people… they were family to her as much as her own flesh and blood, and it had hurt, so much- though slightly less than the pain had been with the constant reminders of death. As much as they had won the war, they had still lost, and that loss was painful.

Having run shortly after the war Hermione had managed to keep most of the memories at bay, no magic meant no reminders of the pain. Being held by her old transfiguration teacher all the memories she'd run from were racing through her mind, each one more upsetting than the previous. She could feel Cassie holding onto her leg tightly; Cassie only did that nowadays if something was really bothering her. Hermione would have happily put money on the little girl being upset because her mum was. She pulled back from McGonagall far enough so that she could hoist her daughter onto her hip, kissing the six year old gently on the forehead in reassurance as she did so.

Eventually Hermione had enough control over her emotions to let go of the Headmistress. "Thanks for that" she mumbled, "I needed it." She looked at McGonagall with wide eyes. What should she say? Minerva didn't look angry, but then she never did. Or at least Hermione had never seen her angry. She squeezed Cassie gently, brushing a stray strand of hair out of the child eye's as she turned back to the Professor.

* * *

But when you're blinded by your pain  
Can't see the way clear through the rain  
A small but still, resilient voice  
Says hope is very near

* * *

Sorry for the cliffhanger. Figured this was a good length/ time to pause things while I figure out the conversation :D Cookies to anyone who reviews or can manage to say "irish wristwatch" out loud quickly three times in a row.


	5. Halo

**Reversible Reactions**

_Reversible reaction: __ A __reaction__ where the products can react to produce the original reactants._

The two women stood in silence for a while, both at a rare loss for words. It was the Professor who broke the silence. "Where on Earth have you been?" She asked, evidently confused at Hermione's sudden reappearance. Izzy and Laura stood off to the side, watching the proceedings develop. It was bizarre to see the close relationship that Hermione evidently shared with her Professor, completely platonic of course, but still unusual. Izzy couldn't name any of her teachers that she thought she would hug. But then again, Hermione always had been a good student; it wasn't too surprising to see that they got on, just a shock to see how well they did so.

Hermione looked the older woman in the eye, her gaze fixed intently on McGonagall. "I've been in America, my Dad moved there during my fourth year at Hogwarts. After the war I just… just needed to get away and try to clear my head. It seemed a logical place to go. I never meant to stay away so long, but the longer I stayed away the harder it became to come back." It was true. Hermione had planned on coming back, but then she got pregnant, and had Cassie. Things managed to very quickly become awkward. It would have been hard enough to come back on her own, but to bring a daughter back with her? People would want to know who the father was, and then she would have to explain about the rape. It would just be hard. It will be hard now.

Cassie was by now fidgeting. Her Mother no longer seemed so upset, and so she really had better things to be doing. Izzy had shown her a couple of the few books she owned, and Cassie was desperate to go and read one of them. She started to wriggle and Hermione quickly put her down. As much as Hermione appreciated the comfort that holding Cassie had provided, the six year old really was getting heavy.

The confusion was still etched into the older woman's face. Hermione was struggling no to giggle. She doubted she'd ever seen her Head of House more puzzled. "We looked everywhere for you Hermione. Ron and Harry still hope every single time they go to Diagon Alley that they might bump into you somewhere along the way"

"Are they okay?" Hermione asked. "They're doing well?" She let out a sigh of relief as she received a curt nod from McGonagall.

A guilty look appeared on Hermione's face. When she had first left, she really had only planned on it being a brief trip to see her Father, before heading back home. She hadn't told anyone where she was going as she needed a breather from the Wizarding World and didn't want them checking up on her. Then she'd realized that life was easier away from all the fuss and decided to stay a while longer. As much as she had missed Harry and Ron and was desperate to see them after so long, how could she explain her reasons for leaving?

McGonagall interrupted Hermione's thoughts with a slight cough. She'd spotted the look of guilt and didn't want to worry her former student. "What are you doing at the moment Hermione. Are you planning on coming back? And why are you here?" She needed to know what was going on, how come Hermione was at her new Muggle student's home, though then again. Izzy's Mother did look familiar, and Hermione was Muggleborn.

There was no way that McGonagall could look Harry and Ron in the face as if everything was normal, when she knew where Hermione was. It wouldn't be fair on the boys. It wouldn't be fair on any of them.

Hermione sighed, "Izzy is my little sister. I found out about her during my fourth year at Hogwarts, and didn't really think that was the best of times to advertise a new baby at home, given the situation with Voldemort. I'd always planned on coming back to the Wizarding World, but didn't know how to. I guess Izzy getting her Hogwarts letter has given me the perfect opportunity." Her eyes scanned over McGonagall, looking for any sign of a reaction but the older woman had a perfect poker face on. Who knew what she was thinking? "As much as I missed everyone, things have been… complicated… for me since I left. Everything that happened made me want to come back more but be more nervous about doing so."

McGonagall's stern façade was starting to drop again, allowing Hermione to once again see confusion on her old Professor's face. She was just opening her mouth when Laura cut her off with a slight cough. "Why don't we all go sit down?" Laura asked, gesturing towards the living room as she did so. She could tell her daughter needed a few moments to gather her thoughts before the conversation continued, and it was ridiculous to have everyone standing in the hallway.

As they all made their way into the living room Hermione took the chance to have a couple of deep breaths, the next few minutes weren't going to be easy. As much as she doubted McGonagall was going to press her for information, and force it out of her, she still was going to struggle to say the things she wanted to of her own accord. Following everyone into the room she watched as Izzy went to sit on the floor next to Cassie, trying to figure out which of her books her niece had decided to read. Laura sat in one of the two armchairs and McGonagall sat in the other. Hermione wandered over to the sofa, sitting down and instantly tucking her feet underneath her as she had become accustomed to doing.

She looked around the room to see everyone focused on her, waiting to see what she would say. Everyone except Cassie of course; she was far too engrossed in her book. Hermione looked down at her hands, she had been wringing them together, a nervous habit that she didn't think she usually had. Forcing herself to put her hands down she looked back up at the people in the room. It wasn't only McGonagall who was out of the loop here. Her mum had only learnt of the war that week, and still didn't know the extent of Hermione's involvement. Izzy didn't really know anything about Hermione's life in the Wizarding World. She had been far too young at the time to remember it.

Hermione took one last deep breath before starting to speak. "Professor I-"

"Please. Call me Minerva if you don't mind. I'm not your Professor anymore Hermione." McGonagall hadn't intentionally interrupted, but she had fought alongside the younger woman for long enough that they should be on first name terms.

Hermione nodded quickly. "Minerva." The name sounded odd as it left her lips, it was going to take some getting used to saying that. Good thing she was planning on sticking around. "I always wanted to come back. I think I needed too sooner or later. I had always planned on raising Cassie with her knowing about magic, just having her about made things harder."

"Cassie?" Minerva asked with a slight frown on her face.

Once again Hermione found herself nodding. "Cassandra Faith Granger. My daughter." She gestured towards the six year old who was still absolutely captivated in the book she'd discovered. Sensing more questions about to come from the older woman she continued, roughly guessing as to what she would be asked. "She's six years old. Her Birthday was in March." Hermione knew what the next question would be. It was just general human curiosity. People wanted to know who the father was. Minerva was no exception to this. Laura was observing the conversation but staying quiet, prepared to jump in and talk if her daughter began to struggle. Izzy also was keeping half an eye on the conversation. She knew her sister didn't like to talk about Cassie's father, and that people liked to ask Hermione about it. Izzy herself though wasn't too clear on the details, she'd always just been told that Cassandra's father was a bad man but they didn't need to worry about him.

Minerva followed Hermione's gesture with her eyes; her breath hitching temporarily as she finally spotted the similarities between the pair that she'd overlooked earlier. She had to bite her lip in an attempt to stop herself smiling at the studious way the child was reading the book, eyes wide, taking in as much information as she could. She had definitely seen that characteristic before. As tempted as she was to ask about Cassie's father, she knew that if Hermione had wanted to say then she would have done so already. She looked back to Hermione and gave her a reassuring smile, hoping it would do something to relax her former student.

A thought struck McGonagall as she looked at Hermione. "I don't suppose you have a job over here?" It was a long shot, but if she could get Hermione to help her out things would be a lot easier.

As Hermione opened her mouth to reply her sister cut her off. "I'm sorry to interrupt but what on Earth is going on?" Okay so maybe the Headmistress did recognize her sister, but what was with the hugging, and the questioning? It was just so unlike Hermione to be pouring herself out to someone, especially someone she hadn't seen in at least seven years.

Her older sister managed a half smile in response to Izzy's question. "Sorry Iz, I know you were all excited to find out about Hogwarts, but I have a few things I need to sort out first." Hermione turned back to Minerva, "I have a job in America, but I doubt I'd be able to keep it if I was planning on being over here a lot more. I'm not sure I would still want it." She did feel bad about how lost her sister must have been feeling, but she needed to get through this conversation with McGonagall. It was almost as if her future in the Wizarding World depended on how this conversation went.

McGonagall grinned, a fully fledged grin that almost went from ear to ear. "Have you ever considered teaching Hermione? Beyond the DA that is. I've been struggling to manage all my duties as Headmistress as well as all of my classes. There have been a few people who've helped me out over the years, but they were never really capable of teaching the students."

Hermione felt her jaw drop, quickly closing her mouth as she realized she was gawking at the Headmistress. "You want me to teach some of your classes? Me? Are you sure? I haven't done any magic in the past seven years and you want me to teach it? I'm honored you considered me Pro- Minerva, but I'm not sure I'm the best choice. I know nothing about teaching."

The grin was still etched onto McGonagall's face, and it was beginning to unnerve Hermione. "Funny you should say that. It's almost exactly what Harry said when I first suggested he did some teaching at Hogwarts." The grin grew wider if that was even possible as she saw the shocked look on Hermione's face. "He's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, rather predictably, he's very good at it too. Though I guess you would know that."

That grin must have been contagious as symptoms were starting to be seen on Hermione's face too. "Harry always was a brilliant teacher." She thought back to all the things he had helped her do over the years, such as producing a corporal patronus. As clever as Hermione was, Harry had a certain edge to him, a natural talent that let him push the barriers in order to progress; whereas Hermione studied the theory behind the skills.

The concept of teaching at Hogwarts, no matter how bizarre an idea it seemed, was beginning to have some advantages. If Harry was going to be there then she would finally get to see him again, and maybe get back onto good terms with him. Though there was always the chance he would be mad at her for leaving, though that was an attitude she would be most likely to expect from Ron. What would she do with Cassie while she was teaching? It wasn't as if Hogwarts had babysitters. Hermione could tell this was going to take a while to decide on, and she would need to get all the facts first so she could see the pros and cons in a constructive, organized way, and not just go rushing into it because she would see Harry there.

* * *

It's like I've been awakened  
Every rule I had you breakin'  
It's the risk that I'm takin'

* * *

Got an exam early next week so might not update as soon as I'd like. On the other hand, this is a good distraction from studying so who knows :D If you have any ideas of what you would like to happen let me know, as I'm at a bit of a loss as to what Ron's occupation should be, as well as some other things.

~Katie


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